Two major public sector unions in Turkey withdrew from today's arbitration talks on civil servant wages, but government representatives went ahead and approved a raise for 2026 and 2027.
The Public Servants Arbitration Board, convened after collective bargaining talks failed, had its fourth meeting in Ankara, the capital. Representatives of the Confederation of Public Servants Trade Unions (Memur-Sen) and the Turkish Public Workers’ Union Confederation (Türkiye Kamu-Sen) left the table, citing unaddressed demands.
After the withdrawal, the board ruled to increase civil servant and civil servant retiree salaries by 11% in the first half of 2026 and 7% in the second half, followed by 5% in the first half of 2027 and 4% in the second half. Civil servants have no right to appeal the decision.
Public employees' unions have staged protests across Turkey over the past couple of weeks as their demans were not met by the government.
Public employees halt work across Turkey amid stalled wage negotiations
Union leaders criticize process
Memur-Sen President Ali Yalçın said the arbitration board failed to resolve key issues.
“In the collective bargaining that ended in deadlock, 58 gains we had recorded in the minutes were put to a vote at the Arbitration Board,” Yalçın said. “Some positive steps were taken after our objections and insistence, but these do not solve the problem. We withdrew from the Arbitration Board.”
Türkiye Kamu-Sen President Önder Kahveci said they had exhausted all efforts to reach a fair outcome.
“We showed every effort to ensure that the collective bargaining process worked through all its institutions and bodies, to advance the rights of public employees and solve their problems,” he said. “However, the board’s proposals did not meet expectations, and despite our goodwill, the employer side took no positive steps. Therefore, we withdrew.”
With both confederations leaving, no union representatives remained at the table.
Unions enabled the meeting to convene
The board consists of 11 members, six appointed by the government and five by unions. A quorum of at least eight members, including the chair, is required to begin sessions. Since union representatives were present when the session opened, the quorum was met, giving the board authority to issue a ruling even after they walked out.
The session, chaired by Court of Accounts President Metin Yener, lasted about an hour. Deputy ministers from the Labor and Social Security, Treasury and Finance, and Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change ministries, as well as academics and union representatives, were initially present.
Health and Social Service Workers’ Union (SES) Co-Chair Mehmet Sıddık Akın wrote on social media that because the session began with sufficient numbers, the board was legally entitled to reach a decision even after the unions’ departure.
The wage arrangement affects more than six million civil servants and retirees. (HA/VK)
